A hold is ‘do not delete’ plus IT collection — a court 证据保全 is a different, formal tool, and neither is an account freeze.
Inside a company, preservation means a written hold, WeCom/email snapshots, and notarial capture before confrontation. If a third party or a rogue employee will destroy evidence, Civil Procedure Law evidence preservation through a court is available — that is not property preservation (the disputes freeze pages). Do not seize personal phones as a first reflex (WeChat related guide). Litigation evidence rules explain how it later lands. This page is the hold. Dawn raids are when the government is collecting, not you.
4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
Internal hold enough?
Employees and IT.
HoldNeed a court order against a third party?
证据保全.
CourtNotary for WeChat?
Before the interview.
NotaryDo not confuse with asset freeze
Different wiki family.
Not freezeWorking rule: Map the regulated role before marketing or launch in China.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Is this the disputes evidence-rules page?
That page is how courts weigh exhibits. This is how you keep them from vanishing.
Can we image a home PC?
Usually not without a strong basis and often a court. Company devices first.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.